F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

Description

Interestingly as USMC carrier plane EA chooses the F-35 JSF (more precisely the F-35B) which is currently still in the development phase. The first flight is scheduled for 2006, and the delivery of the aircraft is scheduled to begin in 2009.

The stealthy F-35 is a supersonic, multi-role, 5th generation fighter designed to replace aging AV-8B Harriers, A-10s, F-16s, F/A-18 Hornets and United Kingdom Harrier GR.7s and Sea Harriers. The F-35B for the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.K. Royal Air Force and Royal Navy employs a short-takeoff/vertical-landing (STOVL) capability. This takeoff and landing operation succeeds through a very innovative technology known as the shaft-driven lift fan propulsion system.

The STOVL variant, designed to replace the AV-8B Harrier, has more than twice the range on internal fuel, operates at supersonic conditions, and houses internal weapons. There will not be an internally mounted machine gun, but an external gun can be fitted. This version requires controllability on all axes while hovering. Another critical design feature is its impact on the ground surface beneath it during hover.

Key design goals of the JSF system include:

Survivability: radio frequency/infrared signature reduction and on-board countermeasures to survive in the future battlefield–leveraging off F-22 air superiority mission support

Lethality: integration of on- and off-board sensors to enhance delivery of current and future precision weapons

Supportability: reduced logistics footprint and increased sortie generation rate to provide more combat power earlier in theater

Affordability: focus on reducing cost of developing, procuring and owning JSF to provide adequate force structure

Note: The EA F-35B model is imperfect, the F-35B, along with the articulated jet nozzle has a lift fan just aft of the cockpit. During STOVL flight, doors on the top and bottom of the fuselage must open; this is not modelled by EA. - Lazarus Tag’lim

Latest News

December 20, 2005 - With the installation of horizontal tails on the first F-35, the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) team has completed assembly of the aircraft’s major structural components. The next milestone in the aircraft’s march to first flight is engine installation, planned for early 2006.

Features

	F-35B (STOVL)
Height (m)	4.6
Length (m)	15.6
Span (m)	10.7
Wing Area (sq.m.)	42.7
Weight Empty (kg)	~13600
Speed Mach	Mach 1.6+
Range (km) Internal fuel	~1667
Vertical Thrust (kN) (STOVL)	176.6
Unit Cost (millions US$)	55